In a notable change on Capitol Hill, U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley from California has declared his shift from the Republican Party to becoming an independent.
Kiley, who serves California’s 3rd Congressional District, pointed to rising partisanship and gerrymandering as significant reasons for his choice. He has asked the House clerk to update his party affiliation promptly, making him the only independent member in the House.
Nevertheless, Kiley aims to continue working with Republicans to keep his committee positions intact.
This decision follows California’s congressional redistricting due to Proposition 50, leading to the elimination of five Republican-held districts just before the midterm elections. Despite accumulating 42 percent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election, Republicans are expected to secure only four seats in the state after the changes supported by Governor Newsom.
The redistricting fragmented Kiley’s current 3rd District, covering parts of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and various counties along the California-Nevada border, posing challenges for his reelection in a Republican-friendly territory.
On March 2, 2026, Kiley expressed his intention to run for the newly created 6th Congressional District, which includes Roseville, Rocklin, and Orangevale.
“I’ve often felt frustrated by the extreme partisanship in Congress,” Kiley remarked when making his announcement. He highlighted that it had resulted in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, rising healthcare costs, and a divisive redistricting struggle. Kiley accused both parties of complicity in the gerrymandering crisis spreading across states.
He further indicated that while internal polling suggested a better chance at winning in the centered Republican 5th District, he opted for the 6th District to maintain ties to his local communities.
However, the 6th District leans left, showing that former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won by over six points in the 2024 presidential election, according to data from California Target Book.
Throughout his term, Kiley has mostly aligned with Republican voting patterns, though he has diverged from party positions on various occasions. Heritage Action rated him with a score of 62% for the 118th Congress (2023-2024), which is lower than the House Republican average.
Kiley has openly criticized GOP leadership, especially during last year’s Democrat-driven shutdown and has disagreed with party lines on votes regarding government operations and redistricting reforms.
As he campaigns for the 6th District, his independent status might enhance his appeal in a predominantly left-leaning area, although it could complicate the GOP’s tenuous majority in the House. The primary is scheduled for June 2, 2026, with possible opponents including Democrats like former state Senator Richard Pan and Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho.
